diff --git a/runners/flink/1.5/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java b/runners/flink/1.5/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java
index edc44f6543d7d..9924581d2133a 100644
--- a/runners/flink/1.5/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java
+++ b/runners/flink/1.5/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.apache.beam.runners.core.StateNamespaces;
 import org.apache.beam.runners.core.StateTag;
 import org.apache.beam.runners.core.StateTags;
+import org.apache.beam.runners.flink.translation.wrappers.streaming.FlinkKeyUtils;
 import org.apache.beam.runners.flink.translation.wrappers.streaming.state.FlinkStateInternals;
 import org.apache.beam.sdk.coders.CoderException;
 import org.apache.beam.sdk.coders.StringUtf8Coder;
@@ -63,6 +64,17 @@ protected StateInternals createStateInternals() {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testGetKey() throws Exception {
+    KeyedStateBackend<ByteBuffer> keyedStateBackend = createStateBackend();
+    StringUtf8Coder coder = StringUtf8Coder.of();
+    String key = "key";
+
+    keyedStateBackend.setCurrentKey(FlinkKeyUtils.encodeKey(key, coder));
+    FlinkStateInternals stateInternals = new FlinkStateInternals<>(keyedStateBackend, coder);
+    assertThat(stateInternals.getKey(), is(key));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testWatermarkHoldsPersistence() throws Exception {
     KeyedStateBackend<ByteBuffer> keyedStateBackend = createStateBackend();
diff --git a/runners/flink/1.8/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java b/runners/flink/1.8/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java
index 82d2c918b93e2..b5a485981793b 100644
--- a/runners/flink/1.8/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java
+++ b/runners/flink/1.8/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/streaming/FlinkStateInternalsTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import org.apache.beam.runners.core.StateNamespaces;
 import org.apache.beam.runners.core.StateTag;
 import org.apache.beam.runners.core.StateTags;
+import org.apache.beam.runners.flink.translation.wrappers.streaming.FlinkKeyUtils;
 import org.apache.beam.runners.flink.translation.wrappers.streaming.state.FlinkStateInternals;
 import org.apache.beam.sdk.coders.CoderException;
 import org.apache.beam.sdk.coders.StringUtf8Coder;
@@ -66,6 +67,17 @@ protected StateInternals createStateInternals() {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testGetKey() throws Exception {
+    KeyedStateBackend<ByteBuffer> keyedStateBackend = createStateBackend();
+    StringUtf8Coder coder = StringUtf8Coder.of();
+    String key = "key";
+
+    keyedStateBackend.setCurrentKey(FlinkKeyUtils.encodeKey(key, coder));
+    FlinkStateInternals stateInternals = new FlinkStateInternals<>(keyedStateBackend, coder);
+    assertThat(stateInternals.getKey(), is(key));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testWatermarkHoldsPersistence() throws Exception {
     KeyedStateBackend<ByteBuffer> keyedStateBackend = createStateBackend();
diff --git a/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtils.java b/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtils.java
index 61eaae8f22785..0e22ac9eeb418 100644
--- a/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtils.java
+++ b/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtils.java
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ public static <K> ByteBuffer encodeKey(K key, Coder<K> keyCoder) {
     checkNotNull(keyCoder, "Provided coder must not be null");
     final byte[] keyBytes;
     try {
-      keyBytes = CoderUtils.encodeToByteArray(keyCoder, key);
+      // We use nested here to make sure the same logic with the get key logic at the portability
+      // layer. We currently use NESTED everywhere in the Beam portability APIs since NESTED vs
+      // OUTER becomes quite complicated and extremely error prone.
+      keyBytes = CoderUtils.encodeToByteArray(keyCoder, key, Coder.Context.NESTED);
     } catch (Exception e) {
       throw new RuntimeException(String.format(Locale.ENGLISH, "Failed to encode key: %s", key), e);
     }
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ static <K> K decodeKey(ByteBuffer byteBuffer, Coder<K> keyCoder) {
     @SuppressWarnings("ByteBufferBackingArray")
     final byte[] keyBytes = byteBuffer.array();
     try {
-      return CoderUtils.decodeFromByteArray(keyCoder, keyBytes);
+      return CoderUtils.decodeFromByteArray(keyCoder, keyBytes, Coder.Context.NESTED);
     } catch (Exception e) {
       throw new RuntimeException(
           String.format(
diff --git a/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/state/FlinkStateInternals.java b/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/state/FlinkStateInternals.java
index 2eb450852925f..5b82a0b386b7c 100644
--- a/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/state/FlinkStateInternals.java
+++ b/runners/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/state/FlinkStateInternals.java
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public K getKey() {
     keyBytes.get(bytes);
     keyBytes.position(keyBytes.position() - bytes.length);
     try {
-      return CoderUtils.decodeFromByteArray(keyCoder, bytes);
+      return CoderUtils.decodeFromByteArray(keyCoder, bytes, Coder.Context.NESTED);
     } catch (CoderException e) {
       throw new RuntimeException("Error decoding key.", e);
     }
diff --git a/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/DoFnOperatorTest.java b/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/DoFnOperatorTest.java
index ec4a2b90d34d0..57f7694d95ece 100644
--- a/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/DoFnOperatorTest.java
+++ b/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/DoFnOperatorTest.java
@@ -1631,10 +1631,10 @@ public void finishBundle(FinishBundleContext context) {
     assertThat(
         stripStreamRecordFromWindowedValue(testHarness.getOutput()),
         contains(
-            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "c")),
-            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "d")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key", "a")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key", "b")),
+            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "c")),
+            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "d")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key3", "finishBundle"))));
 
     doFnOperator = doFnOperatorSupplier.get();
@@ -1652,10 +1652,10 @@ public void finishBundle(FinishBundleContext context) {
     assertThat(
         stripStreamRecordFromWindowedValue(testHarness.getOutput()),
         contains(
-            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "c")),
-            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "d")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key", "a")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key", "b")),
+            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "c")),
+            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "d")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key3", "finishBundle"))));
 
     // repeat to see if elements are evicted
@@ -1665,10 +1665,10 @@ public void finishBundle(FinishBundleContext context) {
     assertThat(
         stripStreamRecordFromWindowedValue(testHarness.getOutput()),
         contains(
-            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "c")),
-            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "d")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key", "a")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key", "b")),
+            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "c")),
+            WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key2", "d")),
             WindowedValue.valueInGlobalWindow(KV.of("key3", "finishBundle"))));
   }
 
diff --git a/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtilsTest.java b/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtilsTest.java
index 06b5d0131233c..61d7ed141fb31 100644
--- a/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtilsTest.java
+++ b/runners/flink/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/flink/translation/wrappers/streaming/FlinkKeyUtilsTest.java
@@ -53,11 +53,12 @@ public void testNullKey() {
   @SuppressWarnings("ByteBufferBackingArray")
   public void testCoderContext() throws Exception {
     byte[] bytes = {1, 1, 1};
+    byte[] encodedBytes = {3, 1, 1, 1};
     ByteString key = ByteString.copyFrom(bytes);
     ByteStringCoder coder = ByteStringCoder.of();
 
     ByteBuffer encoded = FlinkKeyUtils.encodeKey(key, coder);
-    // Ensure outer context is used where no length encoding is used.
-    assertThat(encoded.array(), is(bytes));
+    // Ensure nested context is used.
+    assertThat(encoded.array(), is(encodedBytes));
   }
 }